BY Issah Olegor
The Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has sounded the alarm over reports that some senior high school (SHS) students are using government-provided tablets to access pornography.
The revelation comes amidst the nationwide rollout of digital learning tools aimed at enhancing educational outcomes under the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, Iddrisu disclosed that while approximately 1.3 million tablets were earmarked for distribution to SHS students, only about 980,000 have so far been deployed.
He explained that the tablets, part of a $337 million contract inherited from the previous administration, were intended to give learners access to digital educational materials and facilitate modern teaching and learning methods.
“Some of the devices are not yet customized, which allows students to use them for other purposes, including sexually explicit content, which is unacceptable,” Minister Iddrisu said.
He emphasized that the government is taking the issue seriously and is working to implement restrictions that will limit tablet use strictly to academic purposes.
The Minister highlighted that the tablets are designed to support digital learning, with curricula and other educational resources preloaded to enable students to access course materials more efficiently.
According to him, the move is part of broader efforts to equip Ghanaian students with digital skills necessary for global competitiveness.
This concern about misuse is not isolated. Previous educational initiatives involving technology in Ghana have faced challenges with student discipline and online safety, raising questions about supervision and digital literacy.
Education stakeholders have long advocated for internet content filtering, training for teachers, and parental engagement to mitigate such issues.
Iddrisu also noted that the deployment of the tablets is supported in part by the GETFund, and stressed that government will enforce proper usage policies to ensure that the investment benefits students academically rather than being diverted to inappropriate content.
The Education Ministry is expected to roll out software restrictions and monitoring mechanisms in the coming weeks, ensuring the devices serve their primary purpose of enhancing learning outcomes and improving the digital education landscape.
